


The Red Pirate

by TiBun, UnknownPaws



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: AU, Abuse, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Androgyny, Bottom William, Crack, Domestic Fluff, Grelliam, Hate to Love, Hermaphrodites, Humiliation, Insanity, Intersex, M/M, Madness, Mild Sexual Content, Mpreg, One Shot, Pirates, Public Humiliation, Situational Humiliation, Suicide, Time Skips, Top Grell, Verbal Humiliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-03 05:09:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4088110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiBun/pseuds/TiBun, https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnknownPaws/pseuds/UnknownPaws
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was it. The day Grell had long since been awaiting, far more important than any anticipated invasion, battle or pillage he'd committed in his last ten years as a sea dog. Finally he had his prize at his feet. William.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Red Pirate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DareDreemer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DareDreemer/gifts).



> Disclaimer: We do not own any recognizable characters, only explore the possibilities.

This was it. The day he had long since been awaiting, far more important than any anticipated invasion, battle or pillage he'd committed in his last ten years as a sea dog. The pirate, in all his scarlet glory, gave a shark-like grin, the latter a curse from an old native shaman located in the Caribbean Islands. The sight of his mortal enemy, the filthy little dolphin child of the King, plunked down on his rear in a hunched over state like some dying dog made him giddy with delight. He licked his teeth, hungrily scanning his prey up and down. Clothes torn and burnt, skin cut and bleeding and covered in deep bruises, hair a mess of gunpowder and grime, and a face of seething anger and pain that made the blood in his veins sing with simmering satisfaction.

Oh, it was good to be finally be on top again. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like, in two years of searching for the famous William T. Spears, the only man who'd ever come close to besting him. It simply wasn't right - these were his waters. His territory, his world; the King and his little lawmen had no right to be out here. He'd cut them down one by one, like shark to a school of oblivious fish. He'd burned down ships, stolen priceless treasure, taken men away from their families as his own little concubines, and tainted the sea with his favorite shade of red as a reminder of who the real King of the ocean was.

Until a youth by the name of William T. Spears, exactly one year younger than himself, appeared in his sights. To the pirate king's surprise, he was no sea tossed fool on the decks of the ship. Swords were cross and guns were barred like wolves' teeth, bullets biting past cheeks and arms and legs in a grueling, bloody battle. And in the end, the Pirate King was shocked to find them both on their knees. He let William flee, too exhausted to continue their banter, but the incident made his blood boil.

No, he could not... _would_ not be bested by a pisser of a lapdog. The thought bothered him for weeks on end, invading his thoughts and even corrupting his dreams. Treasure soon lost its luster, the men in his chambers became dull, broken dolls, and no amount of blood shed over open shark infested waters could relieve him of this want.

This need.

He needed William T. Spears as his own. He needed to show the man who was the dominatrix of the sea. He needed that stupid little privateer screaming under his touch, withering under his sword, and tied up to his bed for his own personal needs. His toy, his dolly, his prey. William T. Spears would be his, he decided, and he began a long, tiresome hunt for the evasive teen.

Until today, the finale of their long feud, where William was now sitting defeated at the Pirate's feet, his ship burning to ashes in the distance.

To Grell Sutcliff, revenge was nothing but sweet and satisfying.

William; the esteemed youngest son of a Noble in the King's court and a favored Privateer of the king himself, had captained his ship with the skill of a much older seaman, fighting with his brains more than the sword and he ran missions for the Motherland and cleaned the ocean of it's lawless fiends. Never once had he failed in battle.

Not until now.

On his knees, blood dripping from his lip as he tried to understand what he'd done wrong. Sutcliff was a pirate known for his ruthlessness. But so many times they had sparred. So many times they had tried to sink each other, and each time William had sailed off to make his repairs.

Until now.

Now he watched as his ship sank beneath the waves, his crew slaughtered, their blood painting the waters red. The goods he'd been charged with transporting looted and being divided up by the crew of the _Crimson Maiden_.

But he was denied going down with the ship. Denied dying alongside his men who fought so bravely. No, instead he was shamed, beaten and kneeling before the pirate captain.

"Why haven't you killed me?" he coughed, looking down at the blood splattered on the deck from his wounds.

Grell purred, his face growing hot and red at the cheeks at the mess huddled before him. He tapped his nails on the barrel of his gun, both painted red with the blood of murdered sailors. Seeing William flinch, he chuckled, circling around the man like prowling wolf honing in on a helpless fawn.

"Sweet little Seafarer," he croaked, salt crusting the edges of his throat from years at sea, "if I was going to kill you like a seal, I would have done so already."

"Surely even a lawless pirate like you would allow a captain to suffer the fate of his men? If you plan to recruit me onto your ship, you are sorely mistaken if you think I would abandon my King." William growled, glaring up through his mess of dark brown bangs.

Grell knelt down behind the man, reaching out to stroke underneath his chin, relishing in the soft stubble-free skin.

"But you... I think I may have grown attached to you. You see, not all men can best me at my own game. I find that rather... interesting. And yet you come in and send me to my knees like a swooning maiden."

He shivered with eagerness, hand clenching around the poor boy's throat.

"It was the most unusual thing! But nay if I am but a vain creature. You see... only one of us can be King. And I frankly think I've earned that title _fair and square_."

He rested his head on William's injured shoulder, digging his chin into burnt flesh and bone.

"And like my title, I have now won you fair and square, the game is up, little lapdog. You've got no where else to go but my chambers. Mine, is what I call you now. You are mine, my pet, my prize, and I will be damned if _I do not enjoy watching you scream like a little brat under my hands and sword_."

William hissed in pain, jerking away and losing his balance, falling onto his side with a grunt, unable to push himself back up because of the ropes binding his hands behind his back and his ankles and knees together.

"I have never claimed such a title as king!" he spat, "I only do my job, and if you think you have won me, then you have won nothing. I will not be yours, Pirate. I'll not stay upon this God-forsaken vessel. The Devil have you!"

Grell and his crew laughed, the Pirate King's breath reeking of blood and decaying flesh. "Oh.... I don't think you have much of a choice, my _concubine_ ~!"

An unpleasant shiver ran through William's body as he looked up at the pirates surrounding him.

"I am not a woman." He stated flatly, "You will _not_ treat me as such."

"Whoever said you'd be treated like a woman? Darling, I'm the only lady of the sea here~" Grell purred, trailing his hand down the broken man's chest to his belly. "But if you are so desperate ... I have heard a little whisper in the wind that you have a little secret about you~! Oh my, does the King know?"

William narrowed his eyes and rolled painfully onto his bound hands to kick upwards and push the pirate away from him, "I have no secrets. Only a filthy pirate problem."

"Then what about these~?" Grell pulled out a pair of bloomers belonging to poor William, sniggering as he nimbly dodged the foot.

"They appear to be a pair of bloomers." He responded in a bored tone.

"Obviously." Will said unfazed, his tone cold. "I'm guessing you have raided a woman's footlocker, but I fail to see how it is connected to anything."

"Oh?" Grell's grin turned sinister, his head tilted to the side. "Then I suppose..."

He stalked over, beckoning a couple of men to follow, their arms strong and muscular.

"..You won't mind me having a peek, then~?"

Will's eyes widened and he wiggled, using his feet to push himself across the weathered deck. "Of course I mind! I'm not in the habit of undressing for strangers like some whore!"

Unfortunately, luck was not on William's side that day. Two of the men crept from the side, capturing the young man in a strong hold, pinning him to the deck as another came up to hold his legs down, spreading them apart roughly and painfully against the rope. Grell hummed, swinging his gun in his hand as he approached, unsheathing his steel sword and cutting away William's pants and bloomers. He grinned, eyes shining with triumph, like he'd just discovered the best bounty of treasure.

"Oh my."

William cried out in protest, his face growing beet red as his lower half was exposed—along with his dreaded secret caused by a curse after an unfortunate run-in with a vengeful witch who didn't take rejection well.

He tried in vain to close his legs and hide it.

But Grell laughed and pointed it out to the rest of the crew, his enemy's shame bare for all to see. "OH MY GOOD KRAKEN!" he screeched, clapping his hands with mad laughter. "Ohhhh, the King will LOVE to hear about this~!"

"Shut your filthy mouth, would you?" Will snapped, jerking his body painfully and finally breaking from the laughing men's grasp. He rolled onto his side and clenched his legs tight, folding them up to cover his shame best he could.

Cursed—with the lower parts of a woman along with what he had been born with. He had been horrified when it happened. Even more so when he woke up one morning to find that it was functional.

"Oh my... I had thought you were joking but it seems it was true! I would be jealous, if I wasn't so absolutely thrilled with what I now have in store for you." Grell crooned, swooping in over the brunet. "I'll tell you what - We'll make a deal~!"

William could only glare wishing death upon his captor.

"I'll keep me mouth shut and you'll be known throughout England as the King's Favorite little Fawnling... in exchange, you bare my child." Grell said, struggling to keep his laughter down. He was joking, of course - there was no way he would breed with this imbecile. But the reactions... it was too good to be true. "Refuse, and I take you straight to the King himself with your naked shame bare for all to see... including your little pigeon of a lady back home."

Whom Grell would take care of personally for his own amusement.

William clenched his jaw, his teeth creaking from the pressure. He'd been given a choice between two fates worse than death.

"You'd be arrested the moment your ship makes port." He stiffly pointed out.

"Who said anything about making port?" Grell grinned. "I could offer a trade with the men - your release for some simple treasure."

William paled. It'd work. He knew it would. Even if the King himself didn't care to, his father would pay any ransom.

Seeing the fear on his opponent's face, Grell knew he had won. Turning his head, he cheerfully crowed out to his crew, "Well, you heard the nipper! Set a course for the coast of England-"

"Don't." William looked down in shame, horrified as he felt his throat choke up, "Don't."

"Oh~?" Grell turned his head to face him. "Have change of heart?"

William didn't move, not trusting himself to do so without breaking down. "It'd be too cruel." He muttered.

"Hmmm? I don't think I quite caught that, darling?"

"You heard me just fine. You are a lot of things, Sutcliff, but deaf isn't one of them."

"Doesn't give me a definite answer, darling" the redhead rasped, taking a seat on one of his canons. "Do we have a deal or not? I'm wait-ing~."

William visibly shuddered as he choked out his reply, the words like poison upon his tongue. "Don't take me back."

Roars of laughter echoed across the ship, the loudest being Grell himself. "Aww, see little fawn?" he chuckled, purring in delight as the canon went off underneath his rear, jerking at the right momentum. "Was that so hard? Don't cry, sweetest - I'm sure you'll have a grounded good time here~!"

He sniggered as the cannonball flew out across the open, bloody waters, hitting and destroying what was left of William's smoldering ship.

"I'm not crying!" William snapped, though he truly felt as if he was. He was trapped on a pirate ship full of men who had learned his most painful secret, and a Capitan who planned to use it to his advantage. The only way to escape was to ruin his good name and shame his entire family and country. It was helpless.

"You're face says otherwise" the Pirate King snorted, watching the remains of the ship sink into the ocean like a pile of rocks. "Bring him to my cabin - we start now. I don't want to waste any more time lollygagging about. Chain him up, strip him, and bring me his coat. I shall have the pleasure of burning it myself and presenting it to his father along with the boy himself should he resist at all."

"Can you even call it a boy, Captain?" snickered one of the men as he picked William up and tossed him over his shoulder to carry him to the captain's cabin, as ordered. He smirked and slapped a free hand upon Will's exposed rear, "Ain't exactly all man, it ain't."

"It has a penis, that's all I care about... aside from what else I am about to do" Grell waved his hand in dismissal. He was not fond of women, either sexually or in general. Men were all he ever desired, and he had no intentions of going anywhere near the female sex. But for his little "pigeon toed Poppet", he'd make one exception.

Poor William would have no idea just how much pain he'd be putting himself into.

"And leave his ass be - that's mine and mine alone, I tell you!"

The man hesitated, "Yes'sr, but I'm just' sayen' tha' the rest o' us woun't mind a taste of this one, ourselves. 'aven'ad no whores in months." He turned, carrying William to the cabin and tossing him on the bed. He then locked the chains and shackles that were attached to the red satin bed around William's wrists before he untied and stripped him of his clothes, William protesting the treatment the entire time.

He then left William in his shame, carrying his clothes out to Grell.

It was hours before the redhead returned, rejoicing in his glory upon the deck with his crew, taking sick pleasure in feeding the remains of William's own sailors to the sharks waiting anxiously in the water below.  Finally, the doors to the Captain's chambers opened with a bang, Grell sauntering in with the moonlight shimmering silver on his back. He grinned at the sight of William, cold and hungry and sea sick, laid out before him like a pig roast. A dish he was willing to messily sample between sharp teeth and clawed touches.

In the light of the moon, he was eerier than any monster lying dormant in oceanic lore. Short red hair chopped messy in places, eyes glowing amber in the torchlight, a frock coat cloaking his body and billowing out behind like a skirt, clothes stained with years worth of blood, and a feathered hat upon his head.

No scars, no wounds - it was as if he was untouchable by blade and bullet. A truly unstoppable creature was Grell Sutcliff, the Red Pirate King.

Without the sun, the evening had grown cold, and William lay curled up, shivering upon the bed. Hearing the dreaded opening of the door at last, he turned his head to look at the one in charge of his fate. If only there was a way to take back control… He'd been racking his mind for hours, but the chains were too strong, and the keys to unlock them were well out of sight.

He said nothing, simply watching the redhead with a hateful glare.

Grell licked his lips, slipping in and letting the door slam shut beside him. "Well, well, beautiful buttmunch~ Nice of you to wait for me~!"

"What choice did I have?" Will asked, dryly, shifting his hands and causing the chains to clink.

"Well you could have fucked yourself but I suppose that would be above you."

"How vulgar." William shivered.

"Indeed. You don't match those standards. A whale carcass would be more suitable."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm just saying... A waste of dead space isn't that attractive" Grell rumbled, slinking onto the bed and approaching his victim. "Now, sweet William... Shall we~?"

William's eyes widened and he shifted further up on the bed, "You're serious?" he gasped, studying the triumphant smile upon Grell's face.

"Oh sweetheart" Grell leered, draping his body over the brunet's, looming over him like a wolf ready to go in for the kill. "Did you really think I wasn't?"

"Wasn't sinking my ship, murdering my men, looting my cargo, and shaming me before your men enough?"

"No enough to satisfy my desire for vengeance, little boy!"

"You have taken so much already!" William cried out, spotting the gun in Grell's belt, hidden under the fabric of his red coat, a sudden urge to take away the pirate's victory the only way he knew how. He couldn't shoot the redhead. It'd not get him out of such a mess, and he'd be chained here, at the mercy of an entire ship of horny seadogs. No, his only option to escape was…

"But you'll not have me!" He grabbed the gun, turning it on himself and sticking it in his mouth before pulling the trigger.

The shot rang out, the single ball breaking through his skull and embedding itself into the wood of the bed's headboard. William's body fell limp, lifeless, his blood soaking the pillows, and his face emotionless.

Time slowed; the sea of red spraying up from the brunet's mutilated head before Grell had time to shield himself. Not that he could, his mind grinding to halt as he watched his prey, his victory, turn in on itself and pull the trigger of defeat. His lips parted, he could taste the blood and gore as it flew into his mouth, dancing with a burning hint from the smoke and fire of the bullet breaking through William's flesh.

And then it was over, his prize lying dead and useless on the bed like the garbage he was, and Grell could only stare as his purpose, his pride, slipped away from him.

No... _NO_!

Grell let out an ear splitting shriek, throwing his head back and screaming out in anger and denial. No, dammit all! After all this time... all his efforts... William had still bested him. And now he was beyond Grell's reach forever, free of their feud while Grell was left to simmer in the ashes of his failure.

"No....!"

Hands fisted in red hair, nails digging into the scalp and sending rivers of red trickling down his head. Eyes gleamed and flicked, pupils dilated with madness. A laugh, slow and shaky, shuddered from his coarse throat, the pitch becoming high and unstable. His mind, rotted and worn from years of obsessions, fighting and chaos, turned in on itself and collapsed.

His teeth tore at his own lips, ripping his mouth apart. Blood, stronger than the salt of the sea, attracted the attention of the sharks below the boats, and slowly they began to accumulate along the sides, teeth gnawing and grinding up planks of wood. Water, stained red from the flesh of the dead, rushed in, to the alarm of the crew aboard the _Crimson Maiden_. Shouts rang out, screams echoing as the sea beasts raced in with the water, the scent of blood sending them mad, slaughtering anything in their path. Red painted the ship. Red ran the sharks as they tore through flesh like paper. Red was the color of his madness, as he sat alone in his chambers and laughed at the chaos unfolding.

Grell looked down at his hands, then at the open doors where his crew members lay dead in a messy pile. He clicked his gun, grin forever plastered on his face, at the head of one corpse. But the bullets, which had been in a plentiful number upon entering the chamber, were now gone. Grell looked down at his clothes, stained with the fresh blood. He looked at the footprints leading out above and below deck and all around the ship in a maddened, dance-like fashion.

He felt the sides of the boat tip over, and looked to his arm where splinters of old rotted wood stuck out. He yanked out one, watching the red spill from his wounds. He brought it to his lips, tasting. Relishing, indulging and delighting in the comfort the sick pleasure of pain.

He looked to the corpse of William T. Spears.

He brought the wood to his wrists.

Red sprayed out like a fountain.

Red coated his clothes and hair like dye.

Red was the madness that bubbled up from his torn throat.

Red was he as he fell for the final moment onto his bed.

Red was all he saw in his eyes as the world turned black and he swore vainly to chase William into Death itself.

  _'You will not escape me_!'

* * *

 

"Ah, what a stressful collection this was. Honestly, sending only two of us…" a man in a suit sighed, stamping the file in his hand for the last of the dead, "But at least we are taking back two new recruits."

"I wouldn't say that is a good thing." His companion stated running a hand through his graying hair as he looked down at the redhead's body. "This one will be trouble."

"Yeah, yeah, but any new reapers mean less work for the rest of us." The first shrugged, "Let's get back to Dispatch."

Together, the two disappeared through a portal.

* * *

 

 And so is the tale of William and Grell. For the redhead, waking up in the Realm of the Dead was the biggest shocker of his life, but none more so than finding himself head to head with his rival once again. Even in death, Will and Grell shared the same fate. Had someone told him the outcome of their teaming up together for the finals of the Reaper Academy, he would have slaughtered them on spot.

And yet here he was now, over a hundred years later, sharing his home with the infamous William T. Spears. Their lives, now, were at a standstill. No one here cared who they were, what they used to be. In a sense, it was a fresh new start. Their "punishment" was more a blessing, for Grell now had the freedom to mingle with the common folk and still indulge in his fancies.

One of which happened to be his obsession. Even after years of grooming, his rough feathers smoothed over into the ladybird he was today, Grell was still the same fearless pirate. Nothing would change his level of pride over his human life, and today was one of those moments when he was reminded most of what used to be and what was better now.

In the basement of their home, stifling a giggle at the sound of someone breaking William's favorite vase (again) upstairs, Grell rummaged through a heap of boxes.

"Where is that gate?" he murmured, hearing something else shattering on the floor above. "I swear I'll be up to my eyeballs in glue again if I don't find it, and as much as I love being messy , I do not fancy spending the night cleaning ceramic pieces out of my hair again-"

He paused, his hand resting on top of an old wooden crate.

"Oh..."

A smile graced his lips, as he pried open the lid and reached inside.

"And I almost all but forgotten about it..." he purred, giggling as he heard his husband groan from upstairs.

"Grell, I hear things shattering." William's voice was not happy, his mood sour from being woken up early from a much needed nap to the sound.

A life with Grell. William still didn't quite know what had happened to cause him to find happiness with the very soul that had brought him such pain in both his human and reaper lives. But somehow, he had. The annoying redhead had chipped away at his walls and had found his heart hidden there, stealing it like just another precious jewel. It would have made his past self cringe to know that it was he who had proposed marriage with the Red Pirate, but he had, and they had started a third life—one together. A family life.

"Why do I hear things breaking?!"

"Ask your little tornado!" Grell yelled out from the basement, unable to hold back his laughter as he heard the self-operated vacuum cleaner start exclaiming things in German. Looks like he had broken it again.

"Sweetie, come down here for a second~!"

William sighed, dropping his head back on the pillow and looking up at the ceiling to mentally prepare himself before he shifted the blankets off himself and stood up with a groan. He rested a hand on his rounding belly and rubbed it before heading out of the master bedroom. "Ludger, kindly behave yourself and play nice." He said, passing the young boy who looked so much like William, patting him on the head.

"Yes, Mama."

Will started down the steps, "What is it you can't come up to me?"

"... True point. Don't fall down on me like a bowling ball again. The hospital said they'd sue me if I brought you in again for injuries. We're just damn lucky our kind is resilient to pretty much any ailment inside and out of the womb." Grell remarked, flicking off the light as he started to climb the steps, the darkness hiding his form like a shadow.

"It isn't my fault my balance has been thrown off so much." William adjusted his rectangular glasses, "I quite blame you for that."

A little nudge occurred from inside the brunet, followed by another on the opposite end of his belly.

Will moved his hand, rubbing his belly to soothe the twins growing inside. The witch's curse had been strong, following him even into death. And while his body looked normal and all male on the outside, inside, as he found out when he found himself pregnant with his and Grell's first born son Ludger, his body was still a little different.

As a reaper, it was normal for some men to be able to get pregnant, but he found that he was more sensitive to such a condition. Even using protection he'd ended up pregnant a second time.

Footsteps sounded on the steps to the basement, Grell soon appearing in the doorframe. His hand on his hip, body cocked to the left, and a familiar hat resting upon his head. He grinned at his husband.

"Nay to the winds tha' blow tae seperat' us!" he purred, Irish accent strong.

William blinked, his cheeks flushing ever so slightly, "H-honestly…" he adjusted his glasses again, "You hardly look like the pirate I remember…"

"Because I am more beautiful now, darling~" Grell giggled, pulling his hands out from behind his back and draping something over William's shoulders. His old privateer coat; cleaned and repaired. Grell had been meaning to give it to his husband as a birthday gift, but had forgotten about it downstairs ages ago.

"But you are still as deliciously handsome as ever~" he cooed, swooping down to poke William's stomach. "Don't you think so, our little ones? Isn't Mama a handsome fellow?"

"This is… You kept it all this time?" William touched the sea-warn fabric of his coat, reminiscing of the life he had left behind.

"I wanna be a pirate, too!" Ludger said, running over to his parents and pointing at their old hat and coat, "Me, me! Yarg!"

The twins kicked and wiggled happily upon hearing their parents and brother's voice, Grell giggling as he pressed a kiss against a tiny foot. "Oh! That reminds me..." he went back downstairs, accidentally tripping near the bottom and falling flat on his ass with a yelp.

Ludger gasped, "Mama! Daddy fell!"

William smirked, "He'll be okay, he's survived much worse without a mark."

As if on cue, Grell's voice rang out from the bottom of the stairs. "I'm okay!"

The sound of a box falling over followed by a grunt soon followed.

"Oof! Will, why do we have boxes of pigeon feathers down here?!"

Regardless, the redhead soon came trudging back upstairs, a grin on his face and a small box in hand. "For you~" he crooned, handing the present to his son.

The boy gasped, "Is it my birfday?" he took the box, jumping up and down.

"No, but it's something very special from Mama and I" Grell said, kneeling down to help his son open the box. Inside, very similar to his own, was a pirate hat trimmed with red feathering. Underneath it sat a coat, similar to William's.

"So you can be like your Mama and I."

"Pirate clotheses!" Ludger could hardly hold in his excitement as Grell helped him into the coat and William placed the hat upon his head.

"Yarg! Can I goes plays in me ship?" he asked, referring to his sand box in the fenced in back yard.

"Only if you do not throw sand at the birds in the bird bath again." William said with a small smile reserved for only his family. "Birds are friends, not enemy ships."

"Except the one that keeps pooping on my head!" Grell called out to Ludger as the boy bolted from the house. "That boy... I swear he's going to set something on fire one day."

He smiled, turning to take his taller lover into his arms.

"How are you feeling? Any better? Can I get you ginger ale or cake or - Rhea forbid - mushroom soup again?" he murmured, reaching up to brush a few bangs from William's face.

"He gets it from you, you know." William said simply, his arms sliding around Grell's waist as he coaxed him into a kiss. "And I'll have you know that that soup was quite delicious, my picky-eater of a wife."

"Mushrooms are gross! I prefer mangosteen~!" Grell wrinkled his nose, nuzzling happily into William's shoulder. "Nice and sweet and not so bland like a toadstool."

"There is pork in the freezer, why don't we grill those for dinner tonight." Will suggested, rubbing Grell's arms.

"As long as I get a raw piece, I'm happy" Grell grinned. "Oooooh, maybe we could add some red wine to them and some cherries!"

He looked up at his husband. "It should be fine, no? Alcohol does burn when cooking."

"As long as we cook it properly and make sure all the alcohol cooks out." William nodded.

"Of course! Wouldn't want the little ones to be hurt." Grell nodded. "Are you sure you're alright, Will? I don't want another scare like this morning."

William sighed, "You have already forbidden me from working for the remainder of this final trimester." He pointed out, "If anything I'll suffer from boredom."

"And good thing I did! You almost killed yourself working overtime, Will!" Grell scolded, touching the side of his belly. "I don't want to loose you or the babies!"

William flushed and glanced away, "I enjoy staying on top of my paperwork. I dread what I'll go back to after Alan and Sascha are born."

"I'd rather take overtime with you than see you fall down a flight of stairs for the 46th time." Grell sniffed, licking the tip of William's chin. "How are the darlings?? I fret over them... the doctor said Sascha is rather small... and both are tiny to begin with!"

"…Energetic." William shrugged, "It is easy to imagine them playing their own little game of rugby in there."

Still Grell bit his lip, crouching down and poking his husband's gut with a painted fingernail. "Sweethearts? Are you alright in there? Are you comfy? Are you being good for Mama?"

He couldn't help it - he never would have thought that losing William almost a second time to a fall down the stairwell at work would affect him so much. Every time he thought about it, he was reminded of that day when they both became Reapers... how far he had pushed William.

Was he regretful? Truthfully, no. It was no in his nature to be so. But that did not mean he felt responsible for the incident.

"Grell," William guided Grell to straighten back up and tilt his chin to look at him, "My Pirate King, my dear siren of the ocean, you worry too much. Worry is in my nature, not yours."

"Doesn't mean I don't..." Grell murmured, his eyes shifting to the side. "You didn't see what I did, Will..."

"And what did you see, Grell?"

"...I murdered my entire crew, Will...The ship... I... It was all red. Because I saw you.  You were red... I don't ever want to see you covered in that red again..." he wrapped his arms around his husband's waist, bringing him as close as possible. "I love you, Poppet..."

William blinked. They had never spoken of the day they died. Truly, William hadn't even known Grell had died the same evening he had killed himself, or why exactly Grell had killed himself.

The truth was that Grell's soul had been withheld when he was reborn, undergoing extra assessments due to how he had snapped. He had to be deemed safe to enter the reaper community, and therefore William hadn't run into the redhead again until the year of their exam was approaching.

"We were both different people as humans." He spoke slowly, choosing his words with care, "We had been enemies, and in my pride, I could not allow you the satisfaction of victory."

Grell still looked uncertain, choosing to remain silent and resting against his husband's chest.

William sighed, "If you are upset at me for it, I apologize."

Grell shook his head. "No... I am not upset at you, but my own twisted self."

"Why? You would not be here if things had been different. Our children would not."

Grell opened his mouth to speak and then stopped. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know... it still doesn't erase the strange feeling. It is not regret but... melancholy."

He looked back up at William. "I will never forget that Will... and when I saw you bleeding at the bottom of those stairs... I almost lost it again."

William frowned in confusion, "I don’t quite understand. I know you worried about the babies and me, but, you adore red and blood."

"Will, I almost murdered the entire Collections department!' Grell exclaimed, his eyes wide. "They had to hold me down and tied me up in a straight jacket. What if that happened at home? What... What if... I did something to you, or Ludger, or the twins? I... don't want to..."

He took a deep breath, "I don't want to loose control like that again..."

"…So that's why they thought you pushed me…" William shook the thought from his head, "Grell, you won't hurt us. I know you won't."

He guided Grell to the kitchen window and directed his attention out to the boy playing pirate in the yard, "Our children are your whole world, Grell. Remember when he was one and someone at the market tried kidnapping him? They barely survived you, and Ludger was back safe in your arms."

"Because any asshole who steals me children shall meet the ends of my teeth!" Grell growled, hugging William protectively to himself, though his eyes softened at the sight of their son playing. "You git... You always have to know what to say to make me feel better, don't you?"

He chuckled, kissing William on the cheek.

"Well…if you are feeling better, maybe we could have some fun time in the showers~?"

"You are my wife, it wouldn't be right if I didn't know how to make you feel better." William coaxed another kiss from the redhead, his fingers running through the long locks, "We'll shower after Ludger is tucked in for the night." He promised.

Grell nodded, smiling his signature shark-tooth grin.

"But only if you eat your greens." William added with an amused smirk.

Grell grimaced. "Ugh... When you say it like that... It hurts me teeth to even think about touching those things !"

"I won't buy you any more mangosteens when I go grocery shopping tomorrow while you are at work." Will threatened, "Salad and vegetables are an important part of your diet."

Grell gasped, putting a hand to his chest. "Will! You wouldn't-! Mangosteens are my-!"

"Your weakness." Will nodded, moving to pull the pork from the freezer to get them defrosted so they could later cook them, "I know."

Grell huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Only if you actually take your medicine this time!"

"It only slipped my mind once, Grell." He sighed, sitting himself down in a chair at the table.

"Have they started speaking yet?" Grell chuckled. "I'm surprised they've been so quiet... by this point Ludger was chatting up a storm with you."

William shook his head, "I'm actually worried about that. The lack of a mental connection with their thoughts should have started a month ago, but they have been quite silent."

And then, as if to counteract his worry, a small kick followed by a giggle sounded on his left side.

"…Or, the twins are troublemakers." William added, pressing a hand to the place he had been kicked.

Another voice joined in the giggling and William directed his thoughts to the giggling, ' _playing a game of silence to make your mama worry? That's not very nice, my sweet flowers._ '

" _My Mama_!" the first voice chirped, wiggling excitedly against her mother's hand.

" _No, my Mama!_ " the second voice insisted, and William felt  the babies shift as the other tried to take the spot next to William's hand.

Will's jaw dropped.

" _Mineeee_!" the first whined, aiming a kick at their brother in attempt to secure their spot. " _Mama mine_!"

The second let out a cry of protest, " _My Mamaaaaaaa!" he sniffled, "Mama…tell her you're mine_!"

" _Mama is mine_." the first said triumphantly, snuggling comfy against William's hand. " _I win_."

' _Please don't fight. I am mother to both of you.'_ William tried soothing the twins, rubbing his belly with both hands.

" _But Mama is mine_!" the first complained, poking their brother. " _I'm the smallest_!"

" _Mama!_ "

William suppressed a sigh and closed his eyes, "Honestly…" Glancing at his wife he spoke again, "Can you keep an eye on Ludger? I need to go sit down. This is going to be exhausting."

"Of course... are you alright?" Grell tilted his head, frowning in concern over the sudden uncomfortable look on his husband's face. At the same time their son came racing indoors, brandishing a stick like a sword.

William nodded, "The twins have decided that the first thing they want to do is bicker over whose Mama I am. They do not seem to realize they both get to keep me as their mother."

"Have they really started talking?!" Grell exclaimed, rushing over to his husband's side, Ludger curiously trotting at his heels.

"Just now." William nodded, "Sascha first, then Alan joined in. She seems to have a very strong personality, and he seems a little shy in comparison, but that doesn't stop them from bickering."

"Just like you then." Grell grinned. "Oh darling, this is wonderful!"

"Wha' wonderfu'?" Ludger asked, turning to look at his parents in confusion.

William sat on the couch and opened his arms to his son, pulling him into a hug, "When babies are inside their mamas growing, they form a special mental bond with their mama and they can talk to him or her until they are born. I had it with you, and now I have it with your baby brother and sister." He guided Ludger's hand over his belly where he could feel one of the twins moving.

Ludger's eyes widened and he stared opened mouth at his mother's belly. "Mama... dey moving..." he murmured, as Sascha giggle happily. "It's so weird!!"

"Yes, they are." William nodded, "They are happy to hear their big brother's voice. They want me to tell you they say hello."

"Oh... Hi, baby bwother and sister!" Ludger chirped, snuggling up against his mother's stomach. "I'm Ludger, your big bwother!"

William smiled, running his fingers through his son's dark hair, "They say they love you."

He looked up at Grell, silently inviting him to join them on the couch.

Grell grinned, sauntering over and flopping down beside his husband, cuddling up against his side.

William let out a happy sigh, sliding his arm around Grell and holding him and their son close.

* * *

 

The rest of the evening continued peacefully, dinner followed through by a movie and then the struggle of chasing Ludger down for his bath time. However, when all was said and done, and their little boy was tucked into bed, Grell finally turned his attention back to his husband.

"Aye, my little King's Lapdog..." he purred, sneaking up behind William on the couch and wrapping his arms around his shoulders. "Shall we away for 'diplomatic relations' in the bathhouse?"

William flushed and lowered his book, shifting his gaze to the redhead. "I did make you a promise to do so."

"Indeed, an' it is nay a good idea tae swindle a pirate, love" Grell teased, stroking a painted nail along William cheek. "Need any help, my darling?"

"Some help would be welcome." William marked his place and set the book aside before letting Grell move to help him to his feet.

Grell grunted as he pulled his husband up onto his feet, steadying him before helping guide him to the bathroom. "I'm tempted to put you on bed rest soon... not much longer now."

William frowned, "But you already took away my paperwork."

"It would only be for a couple of weeks" Grell insisted, rubbing the small of his husbands back. "So unless the little ones decide to come out tonight or what not, you are on bed rest."

"You know I hate wasting time and being unproductive, Grell." William found himself whining.

"I'll give you Ludger's preschool math textbook to look at!" Grell chirped.

William gave him a flat look.

"What? The stuff in there is more than I want to comprehend." Grell said with a nonchalant shrug, reaching the bathroom and pushing the door open.

"You are helpless if preschool level math is too difficult for you." The brunet teased.

"Pah, who needs arithmetic anyways in this realm? I certainly don't!" Grell snorted, leading his husband into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"I use it quite a bit, actually. Many reapers do." William pointed out, removing his shirt and hanging it on the hanger attached to the back of the door.

Grell merely snorted, smirking when he caught sight of his lover undressing and sneaking a feel of William's tight bottom.

"Honestly," William adjusted his glasses, "Can't you wait until we are in the shower before feeling me up?"

"I can't help it; dear... your ass is too perfectly chiseled! Mmm... then again, the rest of you is perfectly chiseled as well~ Like a Greek statue!"

"I hardly believe I look as such in my current condition."

"It's just baby fat, it doesn't look that bad."

"You're just saying that because you're married to me."

"William, do I look like I'm kidding?"

"I didn't say you were kidding, Grell. Just that you are saying that because you are committed to me. You don't want to upset me by telling me I look like a blimp. You made that mistake before, after all."

Grell grimaced, remembering how his husband had reacted the last time he'd let it slip that William was putting on weight from the children. That alone had to have been the third time in his existence that he'd seen William break down into tears of misery.

"Even so..." Grell said after a moment's hesitation, moving closer to his husband and placing his hands on his hips, slipping in from behind to face him. "You look beautiful."

"No." William shook his head, gazing down into the redhead's green-gold eyes, "No, you are the beautiful one. Even when I'm not heavy with child, that term has never fit me as it does you."

"Will..." Grell stood on his tip toes, capturing his lover's lips in a chaste kiss. "Whatever did I do to deserve you?"

William shook his head again, "Perhaps it wasn't anything you did that brought us together, rather, it was the both of us maturing over time and getting to know each other beyond how we saw each other as humans."

"I suppose... though I like to think that we both played our parts in this little play." Grell sighed, running his hands up and down William's sides, tickling him.

William swept Grell up in a kiss, pressing as close as he dared without hurting the twins, "I don't see this as a play. It's all too real for that, and I prefer it to be real." He cupped Grell's cheek.

"Our past is complicated. We started out as enemies, yet here we are; married and amazingly enough, we have three children together. We have a future."

The twins wiggled inside their mother at the comment, giggling and trying to snuggle against their father's hands to emphasize William's point.

William smiled again, running his hand through Grell's long red hair, "Now, did you want to bathe together or not?"

Grell smiled, hiding his face in the crook of William's neck so the man would not see the wetness of his eyes. "Yes darling" he purred, tickling the spot where two feet were poking his hands. "And thank you... for all you do..."

"I love you." William whispered against Grell's hair.

"Mmm~" Grell hummed, sinking deep into the kiss, snaking his arms around William's neck.

The two of them slipped into the shower after turning it on and letting the water warm up. William then pinned Grell to the wall, kissing along his neck.

Grell moaned, tilting his head to the left to expose his pale skin.

"Mm, you taste like strawberries again…" William muttered, running his hands along his wife's body.

A sudden painful kick hit William in the side, interrupting him.

Will grunted and pulled back, rubbing the spot, "That one hurt…"

"Hmm~?" Grell hummed, slipping back closer to his husband, his hands snaking around to tenderly massage both William's rear and the small of his sore back.

Will shook his head, shrugging it off as he turned his attention back to Grell, "Pardon the interruption, where were we?"

Grell slammed his lips back onto William's, growling softly in his throat, his fingers kneading his husband's bottom like dough. He nibbled at his bottom lip, tasting the faint trickle of iron dribbling down onto his tongue. His eyes half lidded cast a hazy look up at his husband's face, all attention focused on him.

William felt himself grow excited, his erection growing to match the one he felt pressed to his leg.

Grell lunged, pressing his husband against the wall of the shower, ravishing him with rough kisses and touches.

William gasped, his elbow knocking the shampoo and conditioner bottles off the ledge they sat upon, "Not too rough, I'm not exactly in my normal condition." He reminded Grell, shivering in excitement. Grell could get rough and he didn't want things to get too out of control until after the twins were born.

Grell nodded, still feeling his husband up as he moved in once again.

William tilted his head again, nibbling down Grell's moist neck and licking up the water droplets upon his smooth skin.

Grell nipped and licked at various spots on his husband's own skin, fingers slowly sneaking their way to his entrance.

"Uhh—Grell…" Will moaned, feeling finders circle his entrance. He parted his legs slightly and reached down to grab both their shafts together, giving them a firm stroke.

Grell jerked, his finger sliding a smidge, a gasp rising from his mouth.

"Grell… It's…good…" William repeated, his eyes closing. He was too far along for them to go all the way—at least if Grell was going to be topping, so he knew they wouldn't go further than fingering. But his hormones were out of control, though he hid it well, and the feeling of Grell inside him, even a little, was pure bliss.

He continued to stroke them, his touch firm and knowing what it wanted.

But the children weren't as pleased with the sudden affection ongoing between both parents, and sought to put it to an end there and then for the night.

William gasped out in pain, stiffening and pulling away to hold his stomach as both twins seemed to kick as hard as they could, leaving small foot-shaped bruises.

" _No, Mama!_ ” he heard Alan's voice echo in his mind.

" _Tha' gross_!!!" Sascha joined her brother, kicking grumpily against William's hand (and her brother's arm in silent bickering).

William paled. "They know—somehow they know—oh Gods!" he choked out, horrified that his unborn children somehow knew what he and his wife were up to.

"Will?!" Grell looked at him, his eyes wide with concern and worry at the sight of the bruises and his husband's reaction. "Will, what's wrong?!"

Will gave Grell an apologetic look, "The twins…they somehow know what we are doing and--!"

"Shhhh," Grell stroked his cheek, more worried about the bruises on his husband's belly. "It's alright, darling. Ludger was the same and look at him now. He doesn't even know what kissing is. They'll forget about it soon enough. Are you alright though? Are you in pain?"

William flushed and shook his head, "I still don't want to traumatize them… Not to mention how awkward it is to be hearing their protesting little voices in my mind while you finger me…"

Grell flushed at the thought, nodding and pulling back slightly. "Agreeing to that... I'd rather them not hear us..."

"I'm sorry; we'll have to wait until after they are born." Will sighed, picking up the bar of soap. After all, they had to wash themselves off either way.

"It's alright" Grell shook his head. "I understand... I'm more worried about you. Those kicks left quite a mark on you."

Will rubbed one of the bruises, "Ludger left marks as well." He pointed out.

"But now you have two terrors inside of you" Grell pointed out, resting his hand over William's. "I worry for you, dearest."

"You put them in there." William smirked, rinsing the soap off his body and moving to clean Grell's body off in turn.

"True..." That I did" Grell chuckled.

"Hold your hair up, please." Will requested as he turned Grell around to soap up his back, "Then afterwards could you retrieve the shampoo? I don't wish the risk of slipping trying to get it myself."

Grell nodded, lifting up his hair enough to allow William access to his back. He glanced over his shoulder, watching the man with a smile. "You look adorable, dear..."

"You know the term 'handsome' better fits me." William flushed as he lathered Grell's back, his hands sliding over his skin and down to his rear.

 

Grell shuddered, purring contently at the sudden touches, his eyes sliding shut.

* * *

 

After the shower, William dried off and slipped into his pajamas before slipping into bed with his book, wanting to finish the chapter before he turned in.

Grell joined him soon after, smiling as he slipped into the bedroom with little Ludger snug in his arms and clinging to the front of his nightgown. Sneaking up to his reading husband, he snuck a hand out and tickled his side playfully.

Not expecting the playful touch, William nearly dropped his book. "What are you plotting, Grell?"

"Nothing my dearest" Grell hummed, innocently batting his eyelashes as he laid their sleepy son atop William's belly like a blanket. "Little one wanted to be with his Mummy and Daddy tonight."

William set his book aside and wrapped his arms around the sleepy Ludger , kissing the top of his messy dark hair, "Alright, he san sleep here tonight."

Ludger snuggled up against his mother trying to hug him as much as possible with his short arms. "Mama, bwother and sister are kicking m' cheek..."

"They are just letting you know they love you." William chuckled, removing his glasses and setting them atop his book. He then slipped down under the blankets and  rolled onto his side, pulling Ludger up to share his pillow.

Grell slipped into the bed beside his husband, watching him and their son with a smile. "All set? Comfortable?"

"Mmm," Ludger moaned, snuggling into William's shoulder.

William nodded, "It seems we are all ready for bed."

"Alright."

Grell tugged gently at the blanket's, pulling them up and over his husband and son. "Darling, you really should choose different nightwear! Those don't fit or suit you - red would be much better!"

"Says the one obsessed with the color." Will smirked, "If I were to start wearing red, we'd never get anything accomplished. I like my blue stripes just fine. Besides, it's dark. You can't even see the color."

"That's not the point, sweetheart. I can't keep resewing your buttons because you are too stubborn to wear a nightgown" Grell giggled, pecking his husband on the forehead.

"Crossdressing isn't my style. And it has nothing to do with color." William pointed out, reaching over and taking Grell's hand, "Let it alone and close your eyes. You have work in the morning."

"I know, I know" Grell hummed, pausing for a moment before reaching over the side of the bed, pulling out William's old Privateer Jacket. Smiling, he gently draped the old thing over his husband, taking a final moment to stroke his hair and body in loving, gentle touches. "Sleep well, my King's Lapdog."

"…Pirate…" William muttered in a sleepy voice, already drifting off.

Grell watched him for a moment, his smiling warm and content as his lover crept quietly into the clutches of sleep. Then, turning, he reached over to the nightstand and quietly pulled open the drawer. Dipping a hand inside, he pulled out his old revolver, the latter now useless with its empty barrel and preserved mortality.

"And we sail across the Atlantic, from Trinidad to St. Marie. Hmm, hmm, hmm, a pirate's life for me~"

 

* * *

-END-

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! We hope you enjoyed!


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